Washington State Passes “Universal” Background Checks

Last night’s election result is being described as a debacle for the Democrat party, and rightfully so. At the time of writing, the final numbers aren’t quite in, but what we do know is that the Republican party took back the Senate and expanded its majority in the House in a big way. If you’re on team Red, you’re likely pretty happy about the outcome. While this means that gun control isn’t even going to be discussed in Congress for the next two years, this doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods, so to speak.

Enter Washington State and ballot Initiative 594 for “universal” background checks, which passed yesterday with nearly 60% of the votes. Here’s how it was worded on the ballot:

This measure would apply currently used criminal and public safety background checks by licensed dealers to all firearm sales and transfers, including gun show and online sales, with specific exceptions.

Should this measure be enacted into law?

Here’s how the vote went down – not surprising that the “yes” votes came from the metropolitan areas of Washington state.

With Initiative 594 passing, Washington state joins Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, New York, California and Rhode Island in requiring a background check for nearly every firearm transaction. As Caleb pointed out this morning, here’s why this matters – the passing of Initiative 594 validates the Bloomberg strategy of gun control, where the battle is fought at the state level, and fought largely with private money. In this case, a LOT of private money.

Bloomberg himself is reported to have spent $4 million pushing the initiative, Bill and Melinda Gates (think Microsoft) donated over a million dollars, Seattle-based venture capitalist Nick Hanauer donated $500k, the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility along with Everytown for Gun Safety spent at least $3.5 million, Americans for Responsible Solutions spent $500k…the list goes on and on.

The NRA reportedly spent $450k in an attempt to defeat the initiative. Another significant contributing factor to Initiative 594 passing is the timing of the school shooting in Marysville, Washington, where a student used a handgun to shoot five classmates at Marysville-Pilchuck High School.

8 Responses to Washington State Passes “Universal” Background Checks

Sad, I don’t even think i saw a single commercial in opposition to this 594 registry scheme. Im sure khq helped stifled that. Amazing how many folks can not read or research exactly what they’re voting for. A sad day in WA state….I’m confident new laws on paper will makes us safer……lol.

I’ve lost count of the wide eyed, mouth left partially hanging open stares I get when I tell people that I don’t follow such and such legislation. How can you not, I get asked. Simple, I didn’t give consent to be part of a binding agreement I don’t agree with. This excludes legislation pertaining to moral behavior. Well, that’s how democracy works, those who vote more in favor of something get to impose their will on those who voted against what was on the ballot. Oh is that so? Well I keep hearing about this thing called “freedom”. Under the context of which it first came to this country, and supposedly still remains, I am free to live my life without coercion or threat against myself or my property, among many other freedoms. Our founding fathers were bullied and did something about it. I was bullied all throughout middle school and high school and it didn’t stop until I did something about it. So the way I see it is they have the right to believe what they want, so long as they keep it among them and theirs. However, should they try and shove their crap (ideology) down my throat, I am well within my rights to put my fist into theirs.

Thanks to this law, if my wife uses one of my guns to defend herself and my children in our home, we would both become felons because that “transfer” would not have had a background check. How would they know it’s not her gun you may ask? The answer is a registry.

Let the lawsuit(s) begin. Liberal billionaires bought this farce and have already moved on (unfortunately to NV, they say), leaving the residents of the state to deal with the aftermath. Maybe higher taxes to pay for it all will be the answer…

sage419.
You are correct about them moving on to NV where they were defeated last session because the Gov wouldn’t sign the bill they passed. The anti’s filed an application to petition for an initiative pretty much the same as I-594 during the summer. They have until next Tuesday (strangely Veterans Day) to have the signature needed to get it on the ’16 ballot. Since we have 4 congressional districts, they must get 27+thousand from each district for a total of 101+thousand. No doubt there will be no problem in the Vegas area. We have seen the same “gatherer” outside the early voting location near our house and outside the post office near us as well over the past couple of weeks. Apparently she is within her rights to be at those locations. Kinda PO’s me to think tha I served in the military to preserve their right to try to infringe on mine. Weird huh?

In my area of Northern Va tv and radio stations will not run any pro gun ad nor will most papers with the exception of the Washington Times and the Washington Examiner. The local metro and bus system won’t take them either. Very hard to get your message out when the LSM decides to take sides.